Miles and Points Recap: AA Promo, Chase Cancelling Accounts, Issues with Merrill+ Bonus and More

This is a brief news recap from last week. For faster updates, follow Miles For Family on Twitter or check the feed on the right side of the blog.

1) A reminder that slow and steady wins the race: Chase Cancelling All accounts of Recent Card Applicants who they Deem Risky  by DoC. Chase is not the bank you want to mess  with. They have some of the most lucrative bonuses on the market and when they ban you, they usually ban for life.

For this reason I’m very picky when it comes to Chase offers. Obviously, I’m limited by 5/24 rule anyway, but still. If I don’t have a clear goal in mind, I usually leave Chase cards alone. Better safe than sorry. This isn’t an issue most in my target readership will encounter, but it’s still worth keeping in mind.

2) PSA: Bank of America Shorting Customers 25K Points on Some Merrill+Visa Bonuses by MtM. I know several of my readers have applied for this card before online link died (again). If you end up getting 25K points instead of 50K, make sure to call Bank of America. There is a good chance you’ll get the full bonus.

3) A potentially lucrative promo for those who value AA miles:

I’m not going to bother because it just seems like a headache. I did Vinesse deal few years ago and it is a pain to cancel, trust me. But it is a lucrative promotion, especially if you need to make those purchases anyway. In other words, you probably shouldn’t bother with it if you are starting from scratch, but if you only need one or two transactions in order to get to 10K miles level, then why not? Check your email to make sure you are eligible for this offer. It appears that it’s not targeted, but I’m not positive on that one.

4) Delta is having a sale on award flights to Florida and Caribbean. Details here. You can potentially fly in coach for 20,000 miles roundtrip if you book by 11:59 pm ET May 10, 2017, and travel from September 26 through November 14, 2017. Florida flights aren’t that interesting for that price, but Caribbean routes could be a good deal. Keep in mind, this is the height of hurricane season, so the discount is not all that surprising due to low demand.

5) Daily Getaways promo is officially over, but I wanted to mention one deal (still available as of Thursday night) that could be worth considering for some families: Wyndham points

I don’t believe it’s a spectacular price by any means, but it might be worth considering under certain circumstances. Read my post for more information on sweet spots in Wyndham program, specifically “Go Fast” rate. Disney area has a lot of hotels that could be a good deal via “Go Fast” rate, especially during peak season. There are also many Wyndham properties near national parks.

You may find this statement surprising, but I actually think this deal is almost as good as the Hyatt one, and the latter sold out instantly. But be aware, dealing with Wyndham is aggravating, as I documented in my yesterday’s post.

6) This isn’t anything super exciting, but through May 15th, you can get a 75% bonus on purchased Club Carlson points. This promo brings down the price to 0.4 cents per point. It’s probably only a good deal on category 1 and 2 properties. This Country Inn and Suites Orlando airport hotel costs 15,000 points per night, and paid rate is usually around $100 all-in or more. So purchasing points can save you a bit of money. (Hat tip Livefromalounge)

7) An incredible package deal from Air Tahiti Nui: Visit Tahiti and New Zealand, plus get three hotel nights in Tahiti for $1,048. You can also add a stop in Sydney for only $267 extra. You have to purchase it by May 30th. I’ve been tempted by this deal in the past, but never pulled the trigger. One of these days…

8) Disney World Hotels with Playgrounds by TravelingMom. If you have small kids, playground matters, right?

Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses

 

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